Easy methods to Pay ZERO Tax On Income Of Mutual Funds and Shares?

Easy methods to Pay ZERO Tax On Income Of Mutual Funds and Shares in India? Are there methods to keep away from tax legally on the income of Mutual Funds and Shares in India?

Current will increase in capital beneficial properties taxation have evidently drawn the eye of mutual funds and inventory traders. Whereas I don’t intend to query their motivations, it’s pertinent to discover methods for legally minimizing tax liabilities on income from mutual funds and shares in India, in addition to to judge whether or not these choices are worthwhile.

Easy methods to Pay ZERO Tax On Income Of Mutual Funds and Shares?

Earlier than talk about about this, allow us to first perceive the present taxation guidelines with respect to mutual funds and shares. I wrote an in depth submit on this after the Price range 2024. You may check with the identical in “Price range 2024 – New Capital Achieve Tax Guidelines And Charges“.

Allow us to return to the first goal of this submit. Certainly, there are strategies to incur no tax on the income derived from mutual funds and shares in India. The method that’s presently being broadly mentioned includes Part 54F of the Revenue Tax Act.

The provisions of Sec.54F are as follows –

Exemption underneath Sec.54F is offered if the next circumstances are glad.

• Who can declare exemption – Beneath Sec.54F, solely a person or a HUF can declare exemption. In different phrases, no different individual is eligible for claiming exemptions underneath Sec.54F.
• Which asset is certified for exemption – Beneath Sec.54F, the exemption is offered provided that the capital asset that’s transferred is a LONGTERM capital asset however OTHER THAN A RESIDENTIAL HOUSE or PROPERTY (it might be a plot of land, industrial home property, gold, share or any asset however not a residential home property).
• Which new asset ought to be bought or acquired – To say the exemption underneath Sec.54F, the taxpayer should buy one residential home property (outdated or new) (however should be inside India) or assemble a residential home property (new home). The brand new home ought to be bought or constructed throughout the time restrict – a) For brand spanking new home – It ought to be bought inside 1 yr or earlier than, or inside 2 years after, the date of switch of the unique asset. b) For establishing a brand new home – The development ought to be accomplished inside 3 years from the date of switch of authentic asset.

Few factors to think about are –

1. Time restrict within the case of obligatory acquisition – In case of obligatory acquisition, the time restrict of 1 yr, 2 years, or 3 years will likely be decided from the date of receipt of compensation (whether or not preliminary or further).
2. Building might start earlier than the switch of capital asset – Building of the home ought to be accomplished inside 3 years from the date of the switch of the unique asset. The date of graduation of building is irrelevant. Building even earlier than the switch of the unique asset.
3. Holding of authorized title is just not vital – If the taxpayer pays full consideration or a considerable portion of it throughout the stipulated interval given above, the exemption underneath Sec.54F is offered even when the possession is handed over after the stipulated interval or the sale deed is registered in a while.
4. The residential home ought to be bought/acquired (might or will not be used for residential functions) – The requirement of Sec.54F is that the property ought to be a residential home. The usage of the property is just not the related criterion to think about the eligibility for a profit underneath Sec.54F. What’s required is an funding in a residential home. Mere non-residential use wouldn’t render a property ineligible for profit underneath Sec.54F.
5. Funding within the identify of the transferor – It’s vital and compulsory to have an funding made in a residential home within the identify of the transferor solely and never within the identify of another individual.
6. Renovation or modification of an current home – Sec.54F doesn’t present for exemption in case of renovation or modification of an current home.
7. The funding made throughout the time restrict however building not accomplished – Exemption underneath Sec.54F cannot be denied the place funding in a residential home is made throughout the time restrict however building is accomplished after the expiry of the time restrict.
8. The stay hyperlink between web sale consideration and funding in new property is just not vital – Merely as a result of capital beneficial properties earned have been utilized for different functions and borrowed are deposited in a capital beneficial properties funding account, the advantage of exemption underneath Sec.54F cannot be denied.
9. Not multiple residential home property ought to be owned by the taxpayer – Beneath Sec.54F, the exemption is offered provided that on the date of switch of the unique belongings, the taxpayer doesn’t personal multiple residential home property. He also needs to not buy inside a interval of two years after such date (or full building inside a interval of three years after such date) any residential home.
10. The brand new asset ought to be located in India – As talked about above, the brand new asset ought to be inside India.
11. Joint possession in different properties – If the taxpayer owns multiple residential home even collectively, with one other individual, the advantage of exemption underneath Sec.54F is just not obtainable.

How a lot most restrict can one avail underneath Sec.54F?

Earlier than the Price range 2023, there have been no such restrictions. Nevertheless, efficient from 1st April 2024, the utmost restrict obtainable to avail of the profit underneath Sec.54F is capped at Rs.10 Crore. Do observe that the quantity of exemption cannot exceed the quantity of capital acquire.

What’s the Scheme of Deposit underneath Sec.54F?

Beneath Sec.54F, the brand new home may be bought or constructed throughout the time restrict given above. The taxpayer has to submit his return of revenue on or earlier than the due date of submission of return of revenue (typically thirty first July or thirty first Oct of the evaluation yr). If the quantity is just not utilized throughout the due date of submission of revenue, then it ought to be deposited within the capital beneficial properties deposit account scheme. On the premise of the quantity utilized in buying the brand new property and the quantity deposited within the deposit account, the assessing supply will give an exemption underneath Sec.54F.

By withdrawing the quantity from the deposit account, a brand new home may be bought or constructed throughout the specified time restrict.

If the quantity deposited is just not utilized totally for buy or building of recent home throughout the stipulated interval, then the next quantity may be handled as LTCG of the earlier yr wherein the interval of three years from the date of switch of authentic asset expires.

Unutilized quantity within the deposit account (Claimed underneath Sec.54F)* (Quantity of authentic capital acquire/Internet sale consideration).

In such case, the taxpayer can withdraw the unutilized quantity at any time after the expire of three years from the date of switch of the unique asset in accordance with the aforesaid scheme.

Is it smart to make use of Sec.54F to pay ZERO tax on the income of Mutual Funds and Shares?

The necessary query is whether or not it’s prudent to make the most of Part 54F to keep away from taxes on beneficial properties from mutual funds and shares. My reply is NO. Nevertheless, in case your investments in mutual funds and shares are aimed toward buying actual property, you might leverage this part to assert the related advantages. However, in case your intentions are directed in direction of different aims, redeeming present fairness mutual funds (debt funds should not relevant) or shares solely for the aim of investing in actual property to realize tax financial savings is ill-advised.

The duty to pay taxes is an unavoidable side of our funding journey. Moreover, now we have no affect over future tax laws. Nevertheless, focusing excessively on tax implications and investing in illiquid and low-yielding belongings—significantly these which can be presently topic to excessive taxation as a result of elimination of indexation advantages—clearly constitutes a misguided resolution.

It’s necessary to be cautious when contemplating social media posts about tax financial savings associated to the sale of fairness mutual funds or shares. Relatively than blindly following such recommendation, take the time to know your motivations for redeeming these investments. Moreover, consider whether or not reinvesting in actual property meets your particular person necessities. This self-reflection is crucial and shouldn’t be swayed by generic social media recommendations or the prevailing crowd mentality.